A Very Weiss Christmas
by Isyys
Summary: Ruby is invited to Christmas at the Schnee's. Christmas oneshot, White Rose themes.


A Very Weiss Christmas

A/N: First and foremost: this is NOT in the same continuation as my other stuff. It's just a standalone Christmas oneshot. Plus it has themes that I would like to hold on to and do again for Cold as Ice.

Putting this up with minimal proofreading, along with having written it in only a couple of days. Quality is thus subject to change in the eye of the beholder, even though that kind of holds true for all writing. Whatever, it sounded cool in my head.

So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah even though it was like a month ago, and happy Kwanzaa to whoever celebrates that, I have no idea.

* * *

Ruby trudged up the all-too-eccentric walkway to the Schnee manor. The day's heavy snowfall had lain the expansive yard under a white blanket, and Ruby's legs disappeared up to her knees with every step she took. Fortunately, it was no great challenge for one of Beacon's latest graduates. Until a bit of snow fell into her boot and got her sock wet. That made it a fair bit less enjoyable.

From outside, she could hear the doorbell echo through the grandiose doors, followed by a quick pattering of footsteps.

"Ruby! You made it!" Weiss sounded more relieved than necessary, given the situation. She was dressed as eccentric as ever. Her white cocktail dress gradually turned pale blue the lower it went, ending in an organized pattern of ruffles at mid-thigh height. One decorated strap went over her left shoulder, leaving her other covered only by her usual ponytail, which was resting on her shoulder and bound up with a red ribbon that streamed down her ivory tresses. In short, she was beautiful and Ruby stood stunned as snow continued to pile onto her head.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Weiss chuckled lightly after a few second's pause. "Now get inside before you catch a cold."

Ruby stepped over the threshold, never letting her eyes leave the beauty that stood before her. The instant feeling of warmth and the involuntary shiver it brought after Weiss closed the door behind her brought her back to her senses.

"I, uh, got you these." Ruby presented the festively wrapped box and bouquet of roses she had been holding behind her back. "…and _this_!" Ruby jumped on her girlfriend, pressing a wet kiss on her lips. Weiss tasted minty. "Merry Christmas!"

"Eve." Weiss corrected.

"Close enough." Ruby giggled. "So, er, nice place you've got here."

"It's nothing special." Weiss waved off quickly.

Ruby stood awkwardly in place. She and Weiss were about as close as two people could be, but this was a foreign environment to her. The few words Weiss used to describe her home while they were at Beacon had not been particularly kind. The way she made it sound had Ruby expecting a prison, not a beautifully decorated manor.

"Ruby?"

"Huh?"

"You're getting the carpet wet."

Ruby looked down. Indeed, the carpet outlining her boots was becoming noticeably darker. "Oh! Sorry!"

Weiss watched with uncertainty as the younger girl quickly slipped off her boots and placed them onto a nearby mat. Apparently the past four years had done little to solve her social awkwardness. Weiss sighed and resigned herself to brushing loose snow off of her girlfriend to avoid further mishaps.

"Your hair's all wet." Weiss stated absentmindedly.

"Uh, it is kind of snowing outside…" Ruby mumbled apologetically.

Weiss stroked a hand through Ruby's hair, catching a few strands between her fingers and pulling up so that they stood straight even after she let go. She smirked to herself before patting them back down to preserve Ruby's dignity. "You could've worn a hat."

"Eheh, yeah, I suppose." Ruby laughed nervously.

They stood in silence for another few seconds.

Weiss was the first to break the awkwardness. "Let's get these under the tree." she said, indicating the gifts Ruby had handed her a minute ago. Weiss offered her hand to Ruby, letting familiar calloused fingers intertwine with her own and leading her further into the house. She tried to set a quick pace, but Ruby held her back every few feet to examine objects that Weiss had long since lost interest in.

Finally, she managed to drag her partner into the room where the tree resided.

"Woah." Ruby breathed. The tree looked like it was at least twenty feet tall, but it still didn't even come close to touching the ceiling. Her eyes traveled downwards from the Schnee snowflake set at the top, following gold and silver garlands interlaced with red and white lights all the way down to the bottom. There were no ornaments other than typical colored orbs hanging from various branches, lacking the personal ornaments that Ruby and Yang's tree was always decked out in when they were growing up. She also couldn't help but notice that the space underneath the tree was conspicuously bare except for Ruby's gift, along with a few that Weiss pointed out as being to Ruby, from herself. She thought it probably was best to not say anything about that.

Alas, Weiss noticed where Ruby was staring, along with the sad look adorning her face. She made the connection immediately.

"My father got me socks for Christmas once when I was a little kid. Long story short, I told him they sucked and that I didn't want any more presents from him. It's stuck ever since then." Weiss explained, smiling.

Ruby burst out in nervous laughter at the unexpected story. "I knew you were spunky, Weiss, but _wow_! Then again, I'd probably do the same if someone got me socks too."

Weiss blushed madly and waited for Ruby to look away before grabbing one of the presents she had gotten for her out from under the tree and throwing it into the lit fireplace.

"Do you smell that?" Ruby asked a minute later.

"What?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular and sniffed loudly a few times. "Smells like something's burning."

"Oh! No, I don't smell anything at all." Weiss said a little too quickly. "Maybe that's dinner you smell."

"I hope not." Ruby said airily. She did a double take. "Wait, you made us _dinner_?"

Weiss' cheeks went pink again. "Well, _I_ didn't, but I did have the cook make a little something. I'll show you." She offered her hand once again, knowing Ruby would find some way to get lost in the expansive mansion if she wasn't being personally escorted. Ruby kept pace with her this time, her hunger apparently trumping her interest in the many inane objects they passed.

"A _little_ something?" Ruby asked incredulously upon seeing the expansive dinner table completely full of dishes ranging from simple soups to an entire turkey. There were only two spaces set for dining, one at the head of the table and the other directly adjacent to it. Ruby saw a certain something close to what she assumed was her spot at the table. Releasing herself from Weiss' grasp, she charged and managed to skid to a halt just before she collided with the table.

Before her lay a huge plate of laboriously decorated Christmas cookies, each one unique from all the others. Not a single one of them was smaller than her hand.

"Wow." was all she managed to say for the first few seconds of gazing at the sugary heaven that lay before her. "Weiss, can I? Please, can I?"

"Don't ruin your appetite." Weiss sighed. To her surprise, Ruby only chose one cookie and took it in small bites instead of practically inhaling it as she had come to expect. With each bite, a low, delighted moan escaped from Ruby and her eyes would roll back into her head for a moment as her eyelashes fluttered. Weiss wasn't sure if she should be flattered or weirded out. Then again, Ruby's weird quirks were all things that Weiss secretly loved about her.

Weiss took her seat at the head of the table. She was glad to see that her orders to keep Ruby's spot within an arm's length of her own had been heeded.

She wasn't feeling very hungry, so Weiss simply sipped on a glass of wine and watched Ruby pile whatever was in reach onto her plate. She rested her cheek in her hand and the corners of her mouth unconsciously tipped upwards as Ruby dug in. Her eyes occasionally flicked up and down what she could see of Ruby's body over the table, but always came back to rest on her eyes.

Eventually, Ruby looked up from her plate and caught Weiss staring. "Whhh?" she asked through a full mouth. Bits of food fell out and back onto the table.

Weiss' smile immediately turned downwards. "Chew and swallow before you speak." She scolded firmly. Honestly, some things about Ruby would never change.

"What?" Ruby asked a full minute of chewing later.

Weiss paused a moment before replying. "I was just thinking…"

"Am I interrupting?" A deep voice called out.

Weiss quickly turned to look at the new arrival. "Not at all, father." she said calmly, but Ruby could hear a slight edge beneath her voice.

The tall, imposing man approached the table. His hair color mirrored Weiss', except his had slightly more grey hairs.

He stopped when he was standing between the two. He looked Ruby up and down, and she stared uncertainly back at him.

The silence felt like it lasted much longer than it actually did. Finally, the man's eyes shifted to his daughter. "My apologies. Carry on." He gave Weiss a curt nod, and Ruby could've sworn she saw the tiniest hint of a smile flash across his face. He picked up one of the cookies from their plate and took a bite before turning and leaving, cookie in hand. Ruby looked to Weiss and saw the wine glass she was gripping threatening to crack.

"He seems, uh… interesting?" Ruby offered, trying to break the tension. Thankfully, she saw Weiss' grip on the poor glass lessen.

"He's been getting a little better." Weiss said. "It doesn't change what he's done in the past but you can't damn a man for trying to make amends, however slight. I've heard that he's been taking steps to improve faunus relations in recent times. Hard work, but I think it relieves more stress than it creates."

Weiss paused for a moment and Ruby took the chance to quickly fill the silence. "As you were saying?"

Weiss looked up at her, confused. "What?"

"You were going to say something before he came in."

"Oh. Right." Weiss rested her cheek back into her hand like nothing had happened. "I was going to ask what you have planned now that we're out of Beacon."

Ruby tilted her head thoughtfully and her gaze went unfocused. "Huntressing stuff, I guess." she offered after a moment.

"I _know_ that, but you must have other things planned for the future. Life isn't all about fighting the Grimm."

Ruby tilted her head to the other side. "How do you mean?"

"I'm just asking; what else is on your to-do list other than decapitating beowolves?" Weiss said, feeling a point in her temple twitch.

Ruby leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling as if she was pondering one of life's great mysteries. "Laundry."

Weiss nearly slammed her forehead into the table. "_Beyond_ mundane everyday tasks, Ruby."

"I don't do laundry every day."

This time Weiss really did slam her face into the table. "So you don't want to visit other countries? Or climb a mountain? See the wonders of the world? Or maybe… start a family?"

Ruby's eyes widened. "_Oh_, you mean _that_ kind of to-do list! You should've been more specific, silly!" she said, poking Weiss in the shoulder. "Of course I want to do all of those things!"

Weiss' heart felt like it was caught in a limbo between freezing and soaring. "A- all of them?"

"Yeah!" Ruby said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Weiss, however, hung her head, hiding her eyes with her bangs. Ruby could see her mouth moving but didn't hear anything coming out of it.

"Weiss?"

"S- stupid."

"Huh?"

Weiss jolted up from her chair and held out her hand once more. Her expression was still hidden behind her hair. "Come with me, you big stupid idiot." she commanded.

Ruby barely had time to stand up after tentatively taking her hand before Weiss was running back the way they came, dragging Ruby along behind her. Weiss slowed to a stop when they were right in front of the Christmas tree.

She turned to face Ruby, and Ruby turned to her. Weiss leaned forward and their lips met in a harsh kiss that took Ruby's breath away. When they parted and Ruby opened her eyes, she saw Weiss rummage briefly under the tree before producing a small wrapped box that she hadn't noticed before.

Weiss' heart was absolutely hammering when she handed the box over to the person that held the dearest place in her heart. Ruby just stood there stupidly, staring down at the box that had just been placed in her hands.

Weiss felt her patience slipping away after Ruby showed no signs of movement. "Well, open it!" she said, sounding more irritated than she had meant to.

Ruby looked up at her for a few long seconds before her fingers finally began to undo the wrapping. Soon enough, all that remained was a small, red, velvet box that easily fit in Ruby's palm.

The room fell unnaturally quiet as Ruby slowly tilted the box open. Ruby's already wide eyes went even wider and her gaze slowly crept up to meet Weiss'.

"Ruby Rose," Weiss began, her voice steadier than she had been expecting, "will you m-"

"Yes!" Ruby burst out. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry! I didn't let you finish! But yes! Yes! YES! Of course I'll marry you!"

Weiss stood there, completely shell-shocked until Ruby jumped on her and kissed her deeply. She had to shift her balance to avoid falling from the extra hundred-some pounds now wrapped around her waist. She managed to stumble in the direction of a couch before falling over completely onto the soft cushions. Ruby never let their lips part throughout the ordeal.

Eventually they had to pull apart, Weiss gasping for breath under her absolutely giddy girlfriend- no, fiancé. Ruby unwrapped herself from Weiss, staring back at the small box still clutched in her grip. Ruby knew next to nothing about precious stones, but she knew that rubies were red; and there was a big one set in the ring. She carefully took it out and slipped it on to her finger, and wasn't surprised to find that it fit perfectly. She stared at her left hand in wonder as Weiss regained her breath. It was soon lost again as Ruby crushed her into a hug.

"This is the best Christmas ever!"

Weiss felt her brow quirk involuntarily. "Christmas _E_-"

Ruby kissed her quickly. "Shut up."


End file.
